


Son, we need you... again

by Paddy_2020



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Established Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Gen, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Oblivious Maddie, Protective Bobby Nash, Protective Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Saviour siblings, U.S. Navy SEAL Evan "Buck" Buckley, oblivious Daniel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29515275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paddy_2020/pseuds/Paddy_2020
Summary: Saw a prompt for this earlier today, so here you go...When Buck had served his purpose for his parents, he was abandoned outside of Bobby’s fire station and despite all of the problems going on in his life at the time, Bobby fell in love with baby Evan and adopted him. Years later, Buck’s parents come looking again after Daniel’s leukaemia returns - creating the perfect dilemma...Fair warning, the timeline here is going to be really messed up in comparison to canon - overthink it at your peril...Also, I’m not a doctor and I’m writing this off minimal research so there are probably going to be medical inaccuracies in here.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Evan "Buck" Buckley's Parents
Comments: 16
Kudos: 239
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	1. Chapter 1

**Buck’s second birthday:**

“Good night guys!” Bobby shouted, as he left the station to go home - life had been hard after the fire, but he finally felt like he was turning a corner

”Night Bobby!”

”Yeah, Night Cap!”

He walked silently out into the night, until he heard a soft cry, it sounded like a young child - maybe a toddler and he immediately ran towards the noise.

”Hey little man, what’re you doing out in the cold?”

“Sowwy” came the forlorn reply, which immediately set off alarm bells in Bobby’s head

”Are your parents about?”

”No - they left” and when the child’s lip didn’t even tremble as he said the words, Bobby’s heart broke in two - this little boy clearly was used to being ignored by those meant to love him

”Okay, well how about you come in and get warm and we’ll see about getting someone to help you find them, okay?”

”Okay” The boy replied cheerily, walking away from a small rucksack

”Hey, is this yours?” Bobby asked once more and the boy just nodded before the older man picked it up.

”Hey guys! We’ve got a firefighter in training outside” Bobby shouted as he walked in - it was their agreed code for ‘a kid has been abandoned outside the station, probably to never see his or her parents again’.

”Bring them on up” one of the others replied, waving to Buck as he grasped onto Bobby’s hand even tighter

“What’s your name little man?”

”Evan Buckley” he murmured, suddenly unsure of himself in the situation

”Well, Evan - you’re gonna need a nickname cause we all have them here, so how about Buck?” The younger man asked trying to be cheerful and friendly to the kid

”Buck” he replied with a smile “OK”

  
  


**three months later:**

“I want to introduce you guys to someone” Bobby said as he carried Buck into the station

”Who?”

”My son!” Bobby exclaimed in joy, before the whole station cheered with him. The challenges he had faced from the adoption agency when trying to get Buck had almost defeated him, but he was so happy to have finally passed all of their stringent checks. Everyone in the station had been asked to testify to Bobby’s ability as a father and they had all done so, painting the picture of a man who would love unconditionally and totally - their efforts had finally paid off.

”Congratulations Cap!”

”Congratulations to you too Buck”

”I’m so happy for both of you”

“You’ll be a great dad for him Cap”

**Buck’s 18th birthday:**

“Evan...”

”Ohh it’s serious” Buck joked, knowing his dad only ever called him Evan when he had something important to say

“It is Buck - you know I’ve never made any secret about the fact that you are adopted, yes? And how I’ve told you who your birth parents are and that if you ever want to contact them I’m fine with it?”

”Yeah...”

”Well, there is one thing I haven’t told you about. Evan, you were born to be a saviour sibling - you know what that is?” Bobby replied, as he grasped Buck’s hand

”Yes, I do” he croaked, “please tell me that they didn’t... didn’t abandon me after...”

”There’s no easy way to say this Kid - they did” Bobby replied, pulling him into a hug “But I love everything about you. The day I found you and saw those two big blue eyes staring up at me, and that smile - you stole me heart and you’ve never given it back” he joked “Those first few minutes with you made up my mind and from that day forward I fought for you - to give you the love they wouldn’t and I’m always so glad I got the opportunity to do that”

”Thanks dad - I guess there’s a part of me that always knew there was something up with the situation. Being adopted when I was two didn’t really make sense, so I guess now it does? But seriously, thank you for loving me anyway”

”What are fathers for - it’s my job to love you unconditionally and totally, something I can assure you, you make very easy. It’s also my job to show the embarrassing childhood photos to potential girlfriends, or boyfriends - you know I’ll never mind which, provided they treat you right. And another one of my roles is to support you in everything you want to do” Bobby said, fishing an envelope out of his pocket. The envelope was clearly marked with the acronym USN and was addressed to Buck - he had read it a few days earlier and... oh shit, he’d left it on the kitchen table in clear view of his father.

“Dad, I know you want me to go into firefighting...”

”No I don’t, I want you to go into whatever you want to do - I just suggested firefighting when you said you wanted to help people and do a practical job that didn’t require college. If you want to join the Navy then you do that and I’ll be there when you pass your training kid”

”Okay, you clearly didn’t read that full letter - I’m not just joining the Navy. I got into the SEAL training programme”

”Wait, what?”

”Yeah, I got into the SEAL training programme and I want to do it”

”Then you go and you do it and you be the best at it like I know you will be” Bobby said, pulling his son into a tight hug

”So you’re okay with it?”

”Oh no, I, far from okay with my son joining the most elite and most dangerous fighting force in the world - but if that’s what you want then who am I to stop you”

”Thanks pops”

”Kid - you are amazing and you deserve to do whatever you want or do with your life and I will be behind you the entire way”

**Six years later in LA:**

“Let’s go back to the station and I’ll introduce you all to some people” Bobby said, as he and Hen were jumping into the 118’s truck - whilst his captaincy there was still in its nascent days

”Who?” Hen asked

”Me... and my son”

”You have a son Cap?”

”Yeah, he’s called Evan - but the guys at my old station called him Buck and the name stuck”

”What age is he?”

”Twenty four”

“So, let’s get this straight - Evan was found outside your fire station one night, aged 2 and you adopted him?”

”Yeah, his parents abandoned him after he’d served his purpose to them - he’s a saviour sibling” Bobby replied, as his phone rang “speak of the devil, here he is” he added, swiping across the screen to connect the call

”Hey Dad, you at work?” Buck immediately asked

”Yeah, got some people pretty eager to meet you” Bobby responded, turning his phone around for so the group could see Buck, who was sitting in front of his tablet in combats and his helmet

”Hi, you must be Evan”

”Yeah, Evan Nash - nice to meet you all”

”So you’re in the Army? Cap never said”

”He’d better not have said I’m in the army! US Navy SEALs” he explained

”No shit, seriously?!” An incredulous Chim asked

”Yeah - I always wanted to work with the best and I guess I finally did it. How are you all getting on with my Dad?”

”Its been... interesting”

”Interesting?”

”He fired a guy yesterday”

”Ohh yeah, I heard - he must’ve really done something bad though. He doesn’t normally fire people”

”I transferred him, I just didn’t make that clear when I told him to get out. The papers will arrive at his house tomorrow at the latest”

”And there’s the Bobby Nash I know and love” Buck exclaimed, just as shouting broke out behind him “shit, guys I’m gonna have to go - look after yourselves and be safe!”

”Same goes for you. Love you kid” Bobby replied quickly

”Love you too pops”

”are you sure you’re not his birth father? The similarities are uncanny” Chim, who was the first to speak exclaimed, laughing at Bobby’s proud expression

”Doesn’t matter whether I’m his birth father or not- I’m his Dad, end of”

”Oh yeah, we didn’t mean anything by that”

”I know, people sometimes just assume my love for him is less cause he’s adopted - if anything it’s more, cause I chose to love him and trust me, love him I do”

**Two years later:**

“Hey, I was told to report to a Captain Nash. You know him?” Buck joked as he walked up to his Dad

“No, I don’t know a Captain Nash. Do you know a captain Nash? Do you?” He asked, pointing to everyone around the table

“And there was me thinkin you loved me” He joked back as Bobby stood up to give him a hug

”Hey, you know how it goes for rookies”

”I’ve spent more time in firehouses than any of you - hell I may not have been born in one, but I was certainly reborn in one”

“All joking aside, I’m glad to have you here - they didn’t tell me I was getting you until this morning”

”I’ve known for a few days but I was sworn to secrecy - I think I’m gonna like it here though” He replied, sitting down

”I think you will son”

**1 year later:**

“Hey, Hen - what’s up with the Captain and Buck’s relationship? They’re weird around each other” Eddie asked, after watching the captain and Buck over the course of his first day

”They’re father and son - Bobby joined us three years ago, Buck one”

”Oh, he followed his Dad into firefighting?”

”Yeah, and before you get on a high horse about favouritism Buckaroo’s a retired Master Chief Petty officer in the Navy SEALs so he’s earned his place just like the rest of us”

”Hey, I wasn’t getting at that - their relationship was just strange that’s all. They don’t really look that alike”

”That’s cause I’m adopted” A voice boomed, much more cheerfully than you would expect, from behind Eddie “Evan Nash, nice to meet you”

”Oh, uhmmm”

”It’s fine, I’m not sensitive about it - but you probably should check your surroundings before asking questions about people Diaz”

”Yeah, uhh sorry Buck” 

“It’s fine, now you need a nickname. We have Cap, Hen, Chim, Buck what’re you going to take?”

”Is he being serious”

Chim then sidled up “I like to work under the assumption that nothing he says is ever serious”

”Oh, thank you rebar head”

”Shut up”

”In case you haven’t noticed Diaz - Buck and Chim are the annoying younger brothers of the station”

”Trust me, I’m noticing”

**Present day, four years since Buck joined the 118 (Buck is 30, Maddie is 32 and Daniel is 36)** ****

“Mum, Dad - I only just got here. How’s Daniel?” Maddie panted worriedly as she ran into the hospital, having taken a flight from LA to Pennsylvania

”He’s not good Miss Buckley” a doctor replied. “He needs another stem cell treatment, like when he was younger”

”Oh, is that why you said to get here so quickly? Was I the childhood donor?” Maddie asked, prepared there and then to give her bother whatever he needed

”No, Maddie. Why don’t you sit down?” Her mother replied, a mournful look on her face “Remember how you had an imaginary friend called Evan when you were little? And we told you that he wasn’t real? He was your brother”

“Oh my God, did he die of this too - is it genetic?” Maddie asked worriedly

”No, he didn’t - we had him through IVF to be Daniel’s saviour sibling and, when Daniel got better we gave him up for...”

”Don’t you fucking dare tell me what I think you’re going to” Maddie spat

”We gave him up for adoption” Phillip finished bluntly “Your mother and I, we tried so much to love him. But we never wanted to have another child, we just wanted to make the one we already had better and were willing to do anything to do that”

”But every time I looked at Evan - I saw the countless hospital treatments and painful procedures staring back at me and... one day, on his second birthday I just couldn’t take it and we dropped him off outside a fire station”

”He was adopted by the station’s Captain - Robert Nash and he sought us out so he had communication details should Evan ever want to contact us”

”But he never has” Margaret replied, an unreadable expression on her face “Maddie, are you okay?”

”There’s a firefighter, in LA called Evan Nash - his Captain’s called Bobby Nash... I’ve had conversations with this guy over the dispatch radio. You’re telling me that I’ve been talking to my brother all this time and never realised!?” Maddie screamed

”We didn’t want to upset you Maddie” Phillip replied, softly

”So you lied to me, discarded my brother like he was a bit of trash you no longer wanted and what. Now want to be friends with him again so he’ll give you more of his bone marrow to save someone he never knew?”

”Maddie, you’ve got to understand what it was like for us...”

”What about me, what about Daniel... what about Evan?!”

”He seems to be happy. Adoption have him a good father and a good start in life” Margaret defended, still missing the point that they had used Buck to save his brother and then cast him away.

”I’m going to see Daniel and I will stay if he asks me to. But if not I’m going to LA and I am not coming back near you again. Understood?”

”Maddie...!” Margaret cried, as he daughter walked off - still shocked at what her parents had done.

**A few days later at the station:**

Maddie walked through the large bay doors of station 118 and immediately saw an Asian man about her age, if a little older, cleaning one of the trucks down. “Hi, I’m Maddie Buckley - I’m looking for Evan Nash?”

”Oh, uhmmm, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now” he replied, before walking away

”Hey, please - I didn’t know what my parents did to him. I would only have been four when they sent him away and when they told me he was an imaginary friend, I guess I believed them”

”No offence Miss Buckley, now is really not a good time” the man replied “please don’t make me have to get the captain”

”Please, I just want to warn him - our parents are going to try to contact hi...”

”They’re not my parents” a cold voice called out from behind her “they ceased to be my parents when they abandoned me at the front of a fire station twenty eight years ago”

”Evan, please...”

”Are you here to present the personal argument then or are you here to tell me why exactly they saw fit to summon me to Pennsylvania?”

”Evan, can we sit down for a minute”

”What? so we can talk about our parents? I’ll start, I have a father named Bobby who loves me unconditionally and who took me in and kept me safe on the worst day of my life and has never let me go since. I also have a step mother who was a recent addition to our family - she’s a police sergeant and she also loves me like her own. Then, I have a younger step brother and a younger step sister - Harry and May. Harry’s just started middle school, meanwhile May’s working at the 911 dispatch centre. How about you, what joys have I missed out on?” He spat. Maddie stood there amazed by how _together_ her brother’s life seemed - maybe her parents were right, adoption had turned out well for him.

”Buck, did Bobby ever tell you that you’re a saviour sibling?”

”Yes, he did - he also told me about how your parents admitted to throwing me out to fend for myself when I’d served my purpose. My words not his”

”Buck, please I know they were horrible to you. But I’m not here for them, I’m here for our brother Daniel. He needs another bone marrow transplant and he never did anything - he didn’t even know you existed until a few days ago either. We both thought I had been the donor” Buck sniffled at the statement, drawing his boyfriend’s attention.

”Buck, what’s wrong mi carino?” Eddie asked, voice laced with concern as he rounded the truck

“This is Maddie, she’s bringing a message from the Buckley’s about where next their living medical resource needs used”

“Evan, who’s this?”

”My boyfriend, Eddie Diaz”

”Oh”

”What, another thing to add to the reasons why I’m better off without the people who are meant to love me list?”

”No, it’s just your life - it’s so close to the way Daniel would love to be living. Seeing his wife and kids, happily ever after. And you’re going to deny him that?” Maddie knew it was a low blow, like a really low blow - but she felt something rearing inside of her. She felt white hot jealousy, as ridiculous as it sounds, filling up her veins. Here was meant to be her abandoned orphaned brother and he was happy and fulfilled in his life, yet she had been in an abusive marriage and the one out of the family who had been shown the most love of all, was lying in a hospital bed, his body not so slowly killing itself. It just wasn’t fair, Maddie didn’t know what she was expecting when she arrived at the station, but the happy, homely scene she saw certainly wasn’t it...

“I am not a fucking bottle of Tylenol! I am a living, breathing person, yet all they wanted me for was to provide cells so the child they actually loved could live. I suppose I should count myself lucky I didn’t ‘slip’ in the bath when I was little and they no longer needed me” he sobbed, before walking off

”This isn’t about them and this isn’t about you. I have flights for both of us booked to Pennsylvania in five days, please be there - he’s going to die if you don’t help him”

”I will not be in the same fucking room as anyone with the surname Buckley ever again - if I decide to donate cells I will fly out and I will donate them and I will fly home. I will not see you, your mother, your father, Daniel or even your fucking dog in the process. Am I clear?”

As she stood there and watched Buck and Eddie’s retreating backs, a firm hand landed on her shoulder “I think it would be best if you leave now” the Asian man from before said, leading her out the doors “so much for ‘I’m not going to upset him’ - you really succeeded in that” he added, before turning on his heel and walking inside.

”Buck, you are not...”

”I want to help him, God I want to so badly. But I’m scared I’ll have to come face to face with them again”

”Then could you donate in LA and have the bone marrow transported?”

”No, the fresher the better - I need to do it in the same hospital as him”

”Well, whatever you decide I’m coming with you”

”So am I” Bobby said as he sat down “if one of them ever turns up in this station again I want someone to get me and I will have them removed, forcibly if necessary. What they did is not right”

“What happened?” Hen asked as she walked up to the loft, she had been in the showers during the altercation

”My sister appeared with orders from her parents”

”What?”

”Apparently I am wanted and needed and loved once more. Let’s see how long it lasts this time”

”They need another bone marrow transplant, don’t they”

”Sure do” Buck replied with mock cheeriness “bet that was a nice conversation. ‘Oh dearest, we should go and find our medical device of a child and recall him to be poked and prodded for the sake of someone who doesn’t even know he exists’” Buck sneered

”Buck, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to defend you”

”It’s okay, but the thing is - I don’t want his death on my conscience. He has a wife and kids and I don’t want to see them every time I close my eyes and know I could have saved him but chose not to”

“Babe, look at me - you can save him and not see them again. You are an adult they have no power over you, but if you want to do this I will be right behind you” Eddie declared, pulling his boyfriend into a hug

”I feel so bad for him Athena” Bobby confessed when he arrived home “I’ve never told anyone this before, but one day - when he was about fifteen sixteen, he sat me down and he told me what it felt like to be abandoned”

”Oh my goodness Bobby” she replied, grasping his hand as she stared with disdain into her wine glass

”He said, even though he was two, when he saw the car driving away after they dumped him at the side of the road he said he just knew they were never coming back. He looked up at me then and do you know what he said? He thanked me for never leaving, he said that as if that was something I could just spontaneously decide to do.... as if he wasn’t worth any more thought than you would put into dropping off an old coat you no longer fit into off to the charity shop. He then said that he had cried for what felt like ages until I came out to find him, God Athena, he was so broken - he wouldn’t let me out of his sight for over a year. If I was taking a shower he would camp outside the bathroom. When I first adopted him he would cry all night long until I came in and slept on the floor in his room, ultimately I got a camp bed and slept in there for the first nine months or so of his life with me, until I eventually started moving it closer and closer to the door and then out into the hall until I eventually made it back into my bedroom. It’s so hard to marry up the boy he was with the man he’s become, the man who balks in the face of any adversity. I was so scared that what they did to him was going to cause him permanent damage, but if anything it made him tougher, and I hated seeing him today - the way _they_ made him...”

”Bobby, you are a brilliant father and he knows that. The problem is, his life has been one big fucking episode of Greys anatomy and we’ve finally reached the big nail biting bit where we see whether he’s going to do what is ‘right’ at the expense of himself or what is ‘wrong’ at the expense of someone he never knew - either way his life has just been turned upside down and two total strangers are suddenly exercising their power, power that they should not have I hasten to add, but power they do have none the less on him and he doesn’t know what to do. He’s going to need you after this Bobby, in a way I’d imagine he won’t have for many years, just be ready for that”

”I know, I’m already planning for us to take a weekend somewhere - just the two of us. You know our usual mountain man thing...” he laughed, although he knew it sounded hollow

”Yeah, I’ll do something fun with May and Harry whilst you do that - so nobody feels left out, but I think our Buckaroo’s going to need his dad after this”

”I know he is” Bobby replied with a sigh. You know the day I told him he was adopted, he reacted in the weirdest way... I was expecting tears or swearing or even an attempt to run away from home, you know what that kid did? He got up, he hugged me and he _thanked_ me, for loving him, how deprived of affection must he have been to be glad to have got away from them Thena?”

”I do not know Bobby, but from what you tell me. You were the father every little boy always wants to have, especially an adventurous one like Buck”

”I tried so hard for him Thena- he was my everything and I am proud of him every day for what he does. You remember that first day you met him? When he got really angry about the baby being flushed down the toilet and tried to make us deny the mother care?”

”Yeah, I was so angry with him - but after I got to know the two of you... it just made sense”

”Yeah, he was furious absolutely and totally furious. Couple that with the fact he wasn’t back from Afghanistan where he had to make life or death decisions every day for more than 18 months and you got that episode.”

”If only I knew about his past at the time - I was wondering why you were comforting him rather than calling him out and I tried to make up for it by giving him a talking to himself. I didn’t realise that he saw a very true reflection of himself in that baby”

”I know - he went to the hospital to check on them both. Still keeps tabs on the child as far as I know, that kid’s got a heart of gold and I hate to think of it being broken again”

**Five Days later:**

The 118 sat around Buck as he phoned the hospital - arranging the procedure

”Okay Mr Buckley...”

”My name isn’t Buckley, I ceased to be a Buckley when I was abandoned in a safe surrender point 28 years ago - my name is Nash”

”I know, but for the purposes of our records...”

”I have no legal claim to the name Buckley - I have been Evan Nash since my adoption, I would appreciate if you use it - especially due to the already... distressing nature of Daniel Buckley’s family’s request”

”Of course sir, sorry. As I was saying, you will be shown into a room where you can get ready on the day, before you will be put under anaesthetic for the procedure - some scarring around your hip bone is to be expected, however, we will do our best to make that as minimal as possible. Mr Buckley has also asked me to convey his thanks for what you’re agreeing to do for him”

”Ok, thank you - I’ll be out in a week’s time. One other thing, will I have to be kept off work for a while after the operation?”

”What do you do?”

”I’m a firefighter”

”You’ll probably need to be on restricted duty for a while cause the area will be quite painful, however, other than that you’ll be fine to return to work within 72 hours”

“Good, I guess” Buck replied, before hanging up “Well, I did it... why is it so fucking hard?!” He cried, finally breaking

”Its so hard Buck because they abandoned you and there will always be that small part of your brain screaming at you to get revenge in any way you can. And that is human, but you are proving that you are the better person by rising above that and choosing to help someone you don’t know and will hopefully never see again” Hen explained thoughtfully, whilst everyone else around the table nodded in agreement.

”Now - Buck, Eddie and I will of course be taking leave for the three days he’ll be in Pennsylvania. You’ll have a relief crew for that, please play nicely - I don’t think I’m gonna be up for much arguing when I get back” Bobby said, gripping onto Buck’s hand in a reassuring gesture.

**1 week later**

“Mr Nash, it’s nice to meet you. This way please” A nurse said cheerily as she directed the three men into Buck’s room “The doctor will be in shortly to explain everything to you, until then I hope you’re comfortable - I’ve read your file, I can imagine this is distressing. But for the record, I think you’re not only doing the right thing, but something I wouldn’t be strong enough to do” she added as she left.

  
About five minutes later the doctor walked in and explained everything to Buck, who was then wheeled off to the operating room to have the bone marrow extracted, leaving Eddie and Bobby at a loose end.

”You know Cap, There is a part of me wants to go and see the Buckley’s, from a distance - just see what they’re actually like. Cause the way you and Buck talk about them, I just want to see what they’re like with each other...”

”I’m not sure that’s a great idea Eddie...”

”Humour me, we’ve come all this way - I just want to see”

”Okay, let’s go and look for them” The older man replied, walking off in search of the Buckley group

“Oh, ummm, we weren’t expecting to see you both here” Maddie chuckled nervously when they met her in one of the corridors “by the way, I’m not with our parents so if you’re looking for them you’d best keep going. When Evan gets out, can you tell me - I want to speak to him, and apologise. Daniel is my brother and I got protective, I shouldn’t have been so rude to him”

”He’s your brother too, even if he doesn’t want to recognise it” Eddie spat, before continuing his search

  
It didn’t take long before he and Bobby saw the group sitting at the end of a long corridor - they were huddled together, waiting intently - a group of Margaret and Phillip Buckley, as well as Daniel’s wife and two Children - Eddie would have felt sorry for them, if he didn’t want to kill the two eldest that is. Suddenly, one of the children walked over to their mother and pointed to the glass door where Eddie and Bobby were standing. Phillip then stood up and walked out to them.

”This is a family group and we’re going through a very difficult treatment with our only son, please give us some privacy gentlemen” he said, voice low as a whisper, yet still managing to inject extra venom into the word ‘only’ and Eddie almost lost it

”Only son? What is the other child you fathered then?”

”Not my son, he won’t even take my name so why should I care?” Eddie’s hands curled into fists, before Bobby grabbed him firmly by the arm

”Come on Eddie, let’s go back to wait on Buck”

  
  


**A few hours later:**

Buck was wheeled back into the room where he sat up in his bed with a wince - they didn’t lie about it being tender

”Hey Babe, you back with us?”

”Yeah, love you both so much. I couldn’t have done this without you both here” Buck said, trying to give the two most important people in his life a hug

”Buck, we ran into Maddie in one of the corridors - she wants to see you, apologise for what she said”

”I don’t know Dad, what do you think?”

”I think you should do whatever you feel up to”

”Dad, I don’t feel capable of making a good decision right now - please just take it out of my hands”

”Okay, I’ll send her in - she did seem genuine Kid”

”Thank you pops”

”Evan” Maddie whispered as she walked in, to see her brother sitting up in bed. “Evan, I am so sorry for what I said, so sorry. I got overprotective of him and I treated you like dirt, just the way my parents did and I am so sorry about that. But you know what else it was, even after everything you’ve been through - I was jealous, your life it’s just so full and happy now - I saw that and I wanted my life to be like that too” she confessed, much to Buck’s shock

”Oh, uhmmm, well I can’t blame you for wanting to have a Dad like mine - that man” he said “that man has supported me through everything I’ve ever done. Even when he has had his own reservations, I don’t remember being a part of your family - but I will never forget the night I became a part of his family”

”Evan, I know you would be well within your rights to tell me to fuck off right now - but you are my brother, I want a relationship with you”

”Maddie, no offence but I can’t see them again - I don’t want to have to see them again and I never want to be put in the position where they feel they can come up to me and say ‘we want a relationship with you’ cause they gave that up when I was abandoned and I know it could have gone many different ways to the way it did - I could’ve died from exposure, depending on when the firefighters found me cause it was snowing that night, I could’ve been found by someone who didn’t instantly want to adopt me and could have spent the remaining sixteen years of my early life in and out of homes - so much could’ve gone wrong and I count my licked stars every day that it didn’t”

”Well isn’t it good I’ve been disowned then”

”Huh?”

”When they told me about what they did to you... I blew up at them, a few days later I phoned to apologise for the way I spoke - not the sentiment but the way in which I conveyed it to them and as soon as they realised it was me they hung the phone up. My number has been blocked ever since. Turns out they’re pretty good at abandoning their children”

”Clearly” he spat, feeling a wave of anger and protectiveness run through him - this was his sister, maybe she didn’t know he existed until a few weeks ago, but she was his sister and her parents had cast her out just like they did him.

”Where do you live”

”Okay, don’t be mad - you and I had actually met before the firehouse incident. Over the radio- I’m a 911 dispatcher in LA. Your step sister wouldn’t happen to be May Grant would she?”

”No shit, seriously? You work and live in LA?”

”Ever since I got away from Doug”

”Doug?”

”Oh, uh my ex husband” Buck quirked an eyebrow “my abusive ex husband” she conceded

”God Maddie - I’m so sorry...”

”You’re sorry? I’m the one who should be sorry Evan! I should’ve pressed the issue of my imaginary friend Evan before, I can remember you with total clarity and I can remember my parents reacting so strangely when you cried or when you did anything wrong and then one day you just disappeared and they never spoke about you again and just gradually convinced me you were a pretend friend I made up to fill the gap Daniel had left in my life while at hospital and that... that I didn’t need you anymore once he came back”

”Your parents sound like absolute bastards I’ve got to say”

”You aren’t wrong she conceded - anyway, your dad and your boyfriend are giving me the stink eye so I’m gonna go, but would it be okay if I called round the station some time... to see you?”

”Okay, but please do not bring your parents”

”How did it go with her, you seem angry babe?” Eddie asked, concerned

”They’ve disowned her”

”What?”

”They’ve disowned her - apparently since she found out about me and got annoyed with them, they hang up her calls whenever she phones and have blocked all of her phone numbers. How could they do that again?”

”Again?”

“How could you do that to your kid? It was different with me - they never knew me, I was only two - but her... she’s been a part of their lives for more than thirty years! How could you do that - I may not be a father to Chris...”

”You are” Eddie interjected

”But I would never just abandon him because he disagreed with me... how the fuck do they sleep at night?”

”Cause they’re evil bastards who only care about themselves” Bobby stated, giving his son a hug

”Maddie said she wants a relationship with me... I think I want that too. You’ll not be annoyed by that, will you?”

”Evan Nash! Have I ever given you the impression that I am not 100% open to you communicating with any of the Buckley’s?”

”No, but still it can’t be easy on you - I’m not trying to replace you dad. Not least cause you’re irreplaceable in my life, but Maddie - she spoke to me as if she did actually want me and love me. So I guess it’s worth a shot at seeing where that goes?” He spoke uncertainly, fear lacing his tone

”Okay, then that’s what you do, but if any of them ever do anything to hurt you. I want to know, okay?”

”Yeah Dad, thanks” Buck replied, a tear running down his cheek

”I love you Buck - you are the best kid in the world. When I lost my other two kids in the fire, I thought my life was over - you gave me a rebirth as much as me finding you gave you one. You gave me something to live for Buck - and I will never be more thankful to you” Bobby confessed, shedding his own tears.

**2 years later - at the firehouse:**

“So, is it a baby boy or a baby girl Mads? Chim won’t tell us” Buck asked excitedly as he and the rest of the 118 sat around the table in the loft. His and Maddie’s relationship had flourished in the years since Daniel’s transplant - they had been there for each other since that day in the hospital and Bobby and Athena had pretty much adopted her as their own, even if it wasn’t official.

”We don’t actually know yet - baby Han was in a bad position during its scan, so I’m going back again in a few days to get another one - then we’ll see” she said excitedly

”Well, sis whatever happens you’re going to be a great mother” he said, standing up and stretching

”Will I be in the league of Bobby Nash parentage?”

”Not a chance - he’s in a league of his own, but you’re not going to be far off” Buck replied, with a grin as he put a hand on his dad’s shoulder, not noticing when Eddie ran up the stairs to the loft

”Buck, Maddie you need to go now”

”What? Babe, are you okay?”

”The Buckley’s are outside - I recognise them. They’re outside and they don’t look overly happy”

”I’ll call Athena - Buck, you get Maddie up onto the roof. You can hide out up there until they leave”

”No”

”Buck?”

”I’m not hiding from them - I was a fucking Navy SEAL. I went into some of the most volatile regions of the planet with a big ass target on my back in the shape of the American flag - I refuse to be scared any longer of them. They can’t hurt me and they won’t hurt me anymore if I go into it with that attitude”

”Baby, are you sure?” Eddie asked, holding his husband in a tight hug for a minute

“I need to say my piece. They still hold power over me, even though I don’t see them as my parents - that ends today”

”I’ll take Maddie up to the roof then” Chimney volunteered, waking over to help her up

”No, we’re a united front - if he’s staying I’m staying with him. I’ve got some stuff to say too”

”Okay” Bobby replied, his face falling into the neutral expression he always used when he was trying to hide his impending displeasure “it’s showtime” he added, pulling both his children into a tight hug before he walked to the railing and watched as the two elderly people ascended the stairs.

”Maddie!” They shouted, as they walked up the stairs “we went by your work and a man - Josh we think his name was told us you’d be here, seeing your partner” Phillip Buckley added, offering Buck his hand “Nice to meet you Howard”

”You don’t even recognise me in the slightest, do you?”

”Well, we’ve never met... I don’t know what you’re expecting” Margaret chuckled, before sensing something was up

”This is Evan Diaz, my brother” Maddie said, watching the horrified expressions on her parents faces

”I honestly don’t know what I was expecting from you. But I think my birthmark’s distinctive enough that if you actually looked at me during the two years I was your son you would’ve recognised me in an instant”

”Oh, so Captain Nash gave you up did he? What did you do”

”Nope, I got married - a year ago. That man has looked after me and loved me my entire life - not just when he needed something from me. I was reluctant to change my name from his, honestly would’ve hyphenated if it wasn’t for my stepson”

”Oh, you met someone...”

”Yeah”

”Can we meet her”

”Firstly who said it’s a woman? - I didn’t. And secondly, I don’t really want you interacting with my family any more than is strictly necessary”

”You are not my son” Margaret declared, a steely look in her eyes

”You’re right, he’s not. Buck is my son and I love him more than anything else on this earth” Bobby replied honestly

”Oh, hi Robert - we were just explaining to _our_ son that he’s a disappointment”

“I am not your fucking son” Buck said, in a dangerously low voice - anger seeping into every word “I am not your son, I legally ceased to be your son when I got adopted by my Dad and I’m pretty sure that I was never emotionally your child so as far as I’m concerned you have absolutely no claim over me whatsoever”

”But you came to save your brother. So clearly we do”

”I’m a firefighter - saving people’s kinda what I do. Anyway, I didn’t do it for you - I did it for him, his wife and his kids”

”Look Son - we’re sorry that we abandoned you to live with this man. We’re sorry that he made you follow in his footsteps and be a firefighter when we, your parents know you could’ve been so much more. You know Daniel’s an accountant and Maddie was a nurse before she got married, both very respectable positions” Margaret nodded approvingly. Ignoring Eddie’s angry glare, she had brought on by trying to manipulate Buck.

“And being a first responder isn’t? But anyway, I made the choice to join the LAFD. My dad supported me and he helped me when I said I wanted to do it. I never was academically minded anyway so it made sense for me”

”He didn’t tell you that did he” Margaret replied, pointing at Bobby and really overdoing her mock disgust

”No I didn’t Mrs Buckley. His teachers did and I always made sure to tell him how he was smart in his own ways - and I was proven right. My son graduated from the academy top of his class, before that he was a Master Chief Petty Officer in the Navy SEALs - I don’t think any of us need to cast doubt at how able he is and if he won’t brag about his achievements, I’ll do it for him - like any proud parent would and should”

“You let our son join the military!?”

”I allowed my son to follow what he said was his calling - despite my personal fears for him and I accepted that he wanted it be a SEAL so I backed him the whole way. I made sure I was the last face he saw before going through the gates to start his training and the first face he saw once it was done. Because that kid is my son and I am proud to call him that”

”Oh my goodness, son we are bringing you back to Pennsylvania you can’t be allowed to live like this!”

”Let me guess, the doctors have told you Daniel may need another bone marrow transplant and you want to shore up your supply for the future, which is why you had a fit when I told you that I do a dangerous job? How close am I to the truth, cause I’m going to hazard a guess that I’m bang on the money”

”Son, pl...”

”Stop calling me your son! I am in no way related to you, legally or emotionally - on my birth certificate I have one listed parent and it is neither of you”

”Look, you don’t have any right to risk your body in this way! No right whatsoever!”

”And there we go, back to treating me like a medical device when you don’t get your own way” Buck declared “anyone timing that, cause I think I was their son who they loved for five whole minutes there” he added with a sneer.

”Evan, please!”

”Here is what’s going to happen - you are going to get the fuck out of my life and never come back into it. The hospital have my phone number through which I can be contacted should your son ever need another bone marrow transplant. They will contact me, not you. I do not want any further dealings with you and I do not want to have you coming into my life and trying to play the concerned parents card any longer. Am I clear?”

”Evan, we only want what is best for you!”

”I have what is best for me, and I suppose you did give it to me so thank you for dropping me outside of my father’s fire station thirty years ago - if it hadn’t been for that, I wouldn’t have the amazing father that I do, I wouldn’t have met my husband and I wouldn’t be leading the fulfilling, happy life that I lead. So thank you for abandoning me for someone who is clearly miles better than you”

At that, the Buckley’s turned on their heels and marched out of the station, and the only tears shed on Buck’s side were ones of happiness as he hugged his dad, his husband and his sister - three of the four most important people in his life.

**epilogue, ten years later:**

“I’m adopted?” Carter Diaz asked, a quiet crying sound accompanying his words

”Yes son” Buck replied, “but you know we still love you and always will, right?”

“What happened to my birth parents?”

”They died in a car accident your dad and I attended. Kid I’m so sorry, but I need you to know that we love you unconditionally and totally and that our love for you is not diminished in the slightest because we chose to love you as our son and take you in” He replied softly, as he and Eddie pulled Carter into a hug. Then the tears started falling “hey, it’s okay to cry Carter - but what part of this are you actually upset about”

”You wouldn’t understand. You’ve lied to me my entire life!”

”Hey kid, I might not understand but your papa does” Eddie said, breaking the silence

”Huh?”

”I was adopted too, by your grandpa Bobby. My parents abandoned me in front of his fire station forty years ago and he took me in and loved me, just like we love you”... 


	2. Chapter 2

......................


End file.
